Giles Fite Charged With Stealing Bowen's Auto, August 22, 1921

Giles Fite Charged With Theft of Auto

Giles Fite, youth of 19 or 20 years, will face trial in the municipal court Wednesday on a charge of the theft of an automobile belonging to a Mr. Bowen, traveling salesman. Fite was arrested Saturday night by Detectives Fespeman and Beagle, of the city police forces, after he had started the machine and was in the act of driving away.

The car had been left by Mr. Bowen of North Church street adjacent the Selwyn hotel. Numerous cars have been stolen recently from this block, four having been stolen Saturday night a week ago. Fite is out on bond.

From The Charlotte News, Monday, August 22, 1921

National Child Labor Law Invalid, Says Judge Boyd, Aug. 22, 1921

National Child Labor Law Invalid Says Greensboro Jurist

Greensboro, August 22—Judge James E. Boyd in Federal court today held the national child labor law, wich seeks to collect the Federal tax of 20 per cent on the profits derived from the products of child labor, unconstitutional. The decision was made in the case of the Vivian Spinning Mills of Cherryville, N.C., seeking to restrain J.W. Bailey, collector of internal revenue from enforcing the act.

The Owen-Keating child labor law was also held unconstitutional by Judge Boyd in decision rendered two years ago and that ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Regulation of labor, Judge Boyd ruled in his decision today, is one of the powers retained by the States, and not delegated to the Federal government. State child labor laws are adequate to care for the situation and provide a penalty, not a tax, as is proposed by the act of Congress, the decision said.

The attempt of the Federal government to regulate labor within the State is a usurpation of authority and a violation of the sovereign rights of the State, concludes the ruling.

An order permanently restraining the collector form collecting revenue from the Vivian Spinning Mills was signed at the same time the ruling was made public.

. . . .

From the front page of The Charlotte News, Monday, August 22, 1921

Louise Mills in Belmont May Reopen This Week, Aug. 22, 1921

Louise Mill Has Clean Up Force. . . Activity at Belmont Plant Indicates Plans for Early Return to Work

A force of men went to work in the Louise Mills in Belmont, Monday morning cleaning up the machinery and putting the plant in readiness for reopening. E.C. Dwelle of the Chadwick-Hoskins Company, owners of the mill, said he did not know when it would start up. It was understood that the company hopes to resume operations in this mill at an early date, probably Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

No announcement has come from mill owners as to when other mills in Charlotte will be reopened, though it is understood that all of them likely will be running within a few days. Many requests from striking operatives for the reopening of the mills have been received in written form, and orally, by mill officials, and the consensus of opinion is that a large force of workmen would respond if the plants should resume operations.

The Brown and Norcott, two of the Johnston chain of mills, are to reopen in Concord Tuesday morning. While it is understood that Johnston Manufacturing Company, which has its headquarters here, proposes reopening its mills in North Charlotte soon, no intimation has been given as to the date.

The Louise mill has about 28,000 spindles. It was understood, and it is one of the oldest mills in the city. It closed down June 1, along with the other local mills, when the strike of operatives was called.

More than a dozen men went to work in this plant Monday morning, but they were not disturbed. Plans for putting them to work were carried on quietly and it was not known they were on the job until during the day. The machinery will be put in shape for operation, and the plant will be cleaned up generally. This work may be completed today, it was understood, and certainly only about two days will be required to complete the necessary details preliminary to the resumption of operations.

From the front page of The Charlotte News, Monday, August 22, 1921

How Smithfield Boy Ended Up With Bride From Boston, Aug. 21, 1921

Suspense is one of the spices of life, and the resultant surprise following a case of mistaken identity stands out as one of the most humorous incidents in the life of David M. Clark, Baltimore contractor, who is in the city in connection with the approaching Made in Carolina Exposition.

“I was a boy of 21 years at the time,” began Mr. Clark, “and a student at the University of North Carolina. That was before I moved to Baltimore, and when I lived in Smithfield. I happened during a trip to Norfolk, Va.

“While in the city, I decided to call on a girl whom I had met at the University dances. She was a pretty little creature, and had been on my mind since I met her. I had not seen much of her during her short stay at the University, and had never written to her. Although I did not know it, the young lady lived in Richmond, instead of Norfolk.

“But I hastily picked up a telephone directory and began searching for her family name. I found two such names in the directory, picked out one by chance and called up.

“’Why, yes. I’ll call her to the phone immediately,’ came the response to my question.

“My heart beat fast as presently a dainty voice floated over the wire.

“’This is Dave Clark,’ I chirped, waiting anxiously for the little gasp of surprise I thought would come, Instead, a short delay followed; then confession that she didn’t believe she knew Dave Clark.

“’Why, I met you at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, last year,’ I explained, feeling sure that then she would certainly remember me.

“’That’s strange,’ she retorted. ‘I have never been to North Carolina in my life.’

“That floored me entirely and she realized it. I was just on the point of hanging up the receiver in utter dismay when she suggested, ‘Maybe you met me somewhere else and have forgotten where it was. Suppose you come out to my home and I’ll see if I know you? Will you?’

“You bet I would. Here was romance in all its glory. I realized that I could not possibly know the girl—but who was she? I didn’t take the time to debate the question with myself. I grabbed my hat and ran out to the street. Hailing a car, I climbed in and waited patiently for Boissevain avenue, my destination.

“After what seemed hours of suspense, I reached it. Walking half a block, I passed before a large brick house with stately white columns. It was the number I wanted. Quickly I mounted the steps and rang the bell. My heart was ready to jump out of my mouth. In a few moments, an old woman came to the door and opened it. Probably her grandmother.

“’Is Miss ---- in?’ I asked.

“’ Why, yes,’ came the reply. ‘I am Miss ----.”

“ I came down to earth in a hurry. Romance fled to the four winds. The joke was on me. I gasped in astonishment.

“’I’m sorry,’ she explained, ‘but you didn’t explain why you wanted to see me, and I thought probably you were some old friend of the family. It really is funny, though.’

“And with that she drew back her head and emitted a laugh that echoed and re-echoed through the streets. I felt like a doodle bug in a rattle snake’s hole.

“’But I tell you what,’ she suddenly suggested, as she ceased laughing, ‘I know I ought to make up for this in some way, so if you want me to, I’ll telephone to a little niece of mine from Boston who is visiting down from Boston who is visiting down on the next block. She is pretty and lonesome. She arrived in Norfolk this afternoon.’

“Well, the little niece came over—and she was a wonder. I don’t mind telling you her name. It was Audrey Castleton. Now it is Mrs. David Clark. I married her as soon as I left college and was earning a decent salary.

“So you see, romance came back. You also know now why this little story stand out above all else in my life.”

From The Charlotte News, August 21, 1921

Change of Venue Helped in Sidney Kincaid Murder Trial, Aug. 21, 1921

The jury which convicted Sidney Kincaid, the Burke county wife-murderer, was composed of citizens of the neighboring county of Lincoln. We do not raise the presumption that Kincaid would have been acquitted had a jury of his own fellow-citizens sat in judgment upon the evidence in the case, but his standing in the community, the fact that he enjoyed some of the prestige of leadership and the influence of strong friends might have militated to some extent against the finding of the right verdict in this case.

The State was not prejudiced against the defendant that it asked for a jury from another country, neither did the State want to be prejudiced in its efforts to convict him. What is sought was a fair trial before a jury of unbiased and competent men, such men as would allow nothing but the bare truth of the testimony to get into the box and who would finally find their judgment in nothing but the facts.

The conviction of Kincaid and his sentence would seem to be such as ought to meet with the satisfaction of the people of the State who are in favor of no immunity from punishment for any classes of people when they have gotten down and sprawled in the wretchedness of criminal depravity. Kincaid, no matter how highly esteemed he may have been, nor influential, nor potential in politics, killed his wife when he was drinking liquor and under its influence, under circumstances that are particularly revolting. He is entitled to no more exemption from punishment in correspondence with his crime than the humblest negro in North Carolina. The law never distinguished color, neither has it regard for wealth or position or office or prestige.

From the editorial page of The Charlotte News, August 21, 1921

Winston-Salem Folks Buy Large Tracks Near Voss; Plan on Farming, Aug. 19, 1921

One of the most significant things that has happened in a long time was the closing, a few days ago, of two big real estate deals by Henry Matthews. One of these was the sale to James Garner and to B.O. Cornelius and John and Ernest Hancock, of the Shaw tract northeast of Vass. This lot contains something over 500 acres, of which Mr. Garner gets 90 acres and the others the balance. Mr. Garner is already living out in the vicinity on the new acquisition; the others are Winston-Salem folks. Mr. Cornelius is a Southern railway conductor. It is their intention to get the land under cultivation. This tract is out in the territory near the Hoke and Harnett corners on the Moore county line, and on the road that is projected to run from Vass to Pineview over on the Coast Line in Harnett. It is about five miles out from Vass.

Close by this purchase is the big tract of 857 acres known as the Poole land. This Mr. Matthews has already sold, the buyer being John M. Taylor of Winston-Salem. It is Mr. Taylor’s intention to get the ground in order soon and set peach orchards and dewberry vineyards. He is a man of means and is much interested in the Moore county Sandhills. This tract is also on the proposed new road, and when that road is built will be one of the valuable locations of the county.

Out along the Harnett county line is an empire that awaits development. One of the finest ridges in the state extends from Vass out toward the hill country of Harnett, and from the towering height of Cameron hill, not far below Pineview, clear through into Moore county that ridge dividing Little River and its tributaries from the Cape Fear and its tributaries, is a commanding elevation. On the Poole tract the ridge is the highest for miles, a view from the top of it extending down into Hoke and Cumberland counties on the south, and to the far distance in Harnett and Lee on the east and north. It would be hard to pick a better peach range in all this sandy belt than that one that runs out into the Poole lands, and with a good road to permit easy shipping of fruit from out that way those who know that section predict that it will become one of the most profitable peach belts in the district. Good crops of cotton, corn and tobacco on the farms out that way show that it is good general farming land, as it is heavier in its type than most of the sandy land of the county. Some excellent farms are found on the road out that way.

The region of the new purchases is historic. At one spot is a mound near what is called the Huckleberry pond, and the mound is said to be a burial place used by the Indians in one of their wars in remote days. The story runs that away back the Roanoke Indians came down this way and encountered the Cherokees, which such disaster that most of the Roanokes never got back. At the mount out on the Poole ridge curio seekers have dug from time to time in search of Indian implements, and even now the ground shows that digging has taken place in recent years.

Another point of interest out that way, but a litter farther toward Camerion Hill, is the old race track. A generation or more ago a track was maintained out on the broad table land, and it is told by tradition that many an exciting meet took place there in the depths of the thinly settled pine forest. Much fine land awaits settlement there on the broad high planes, and it is assumed that the beginning that will be made by the new purchasers means the opening of that country to a population that will develop it.

Farther out, and southward toward Lobelia, many new settlers have been going in to plant tobacco, and Mr. Matthews says that if tobacco brings any price this season he will have more folks down here from the mountains to locate out between Lobelia and the Poole place, and he has hopes of filling that region with some good people.

A road from Pineview is talked considerably, and as it would be an easy road to build, with few grades and few bridges, and several miles of the route already in fair shape, it is not beyond the probabilities that the road will be undertaken one of these days. Some day that region, with a good road through it, and a railroad on each side, will be one of the best bits of farming country in Moore county, and it may not be a great while in developing. A few farms are out on the county line, and a little saw mill work is carried on out that way, but pretty much a new world, and ready to take care of a goodly number of people.

A drive out that way is interesting. The road leads out past the Methodist church, and at several points a turn can be made to cross over to the Lobelia road, or by Cameron, or even if a longer ride is desired, by Pineview and back by Lemon Springs. Some of the road is nothing extra, but it can be negotiated with little trouble all the way, and the trip is worth taking. It gives a broad view of all that wild country after the ridge is reached, and the picture is a great one.

From the front page of The Pilot, “Devoted to the Upbuilding of Vass and Its Surrounding Country,” Friday, August 19, 1921

22-Year-Old Leaves Home Without Permission, Aug. 21, 1921

Girl’s Mind Affected, Begs for Assistance

A neatly dressed girl of perhaps 22 sought assistance of the Associated Charities Saturday morning, claiming that she had been unable to find employment here, that she consequently had no money and that she was hungry. Observation by officials of the organization revealed that her mind was affected.

They sent her to a local hospital for treatment. Growing nervous because of confinement there the girl created such a disturbance that she had to be removed. She was taken to the city hall and placed in the women’s detentive quarters.

Investigation by the police and Mayor J.O. Walker located relatives of the young woman in a distant city. It was learned that she had left home without their knowledge. Arrangements were being made late Saturday night for an officer to accompany her to her home this morning. Money was telegraphed her for her transportation, but the police reported they found her in possession of $38.

She was described as a young woman of attractive appearance and neatly dressed. Her departure from her home was assigned to insanity.

From The Charlotte News, August 21, 1921